Strange question you might say.  Does it really impact your career, family business, your wealth? 

 

Last Friday while I was attending the annual re-certification of our coaches/instructors (I am proud to say this annual event is mandated by our corporate office to refresh our skills, confidence and enthusiasm to provide quality to our clients) Steve, a business executive asked me, “How come people young and old don’t consider dealing with people as important as being smart at making business deals?”

 

Family problems, turnover of staff, too much stress from having to do too much yourself, lack of customer connections, mistrust of management, no vendor loyalty, lack of understanding of employees, low morale, deals gone bad, are outcomes directly related to making the way you deal with people a low priority.

 

If you don’t work on it, legal contracts dictate the day (as in dictator), and snatching the very soul of people who care becomes the culture of an organization. In those organizations there is little focus on the market, customer’s wants and motives which, in the long haul, brings them down.  Innovation doesn’t thrive in those kinds of environments. It is invisible to those who are simply focused on money and results at any cost.   (As in Wall Street banker bandits who brought our world down.)

 

I guess if you are rich it doesn’t matter… Or does it?  Can you get rich with people skills and by having a soul?  Warren Buffet thinks so!  He chose coaching by our organization years ago and his Dale Carnegie certificate is the only one on his wall.

 

Sir Richard Branson thinks so!  His whole success is about empowering his staff and allowing for innovation so they can inspire the market.

 

Jay Leno thinks so!  “Being successful is just applying Dale Carnegie people principles,” he said to the Wall Street Journal.

 

I gave the closing talk last Friday at our recertification as I have done for the past 38 years.  I brought everyone back to when I was 21 getting started in business.  I didn’t have much going for me back then but a passion for our business, communications skills, and a few people.  I recalled how the company grew, how we faced the ups and downs, how I had to become more of a businessman and investor.  As I look back, our team’s success was because of our passion and people skills.  It’s the way we cared about each other, our customers, enjoyed each other’s company and had fun together.  There is no doubt about it, the biggest problems we have are people problems; and the biggest victories usually include others.  Just as we saw with the NBA’s Miami Heat and their three All Stars, individuals don’t make a team.  When you build team, you have a greater chance of winning.

 

I hope young people get hooked on success and turned-on to their potential just as I was, and keep their eye on what the Andrew Carnegie Institute said years ago, “85% of your success is determined by your ability to influence and get along with people.”

Like me, most people are not masters at anything.  We just muddle through day by day, like everyone else, but those who arouse the enthusiasm of others to get things done usually succeed.  They usually have repeat customers, supportive vendors and staff, a close family, and good friends.  People with people skills and strong people values and are respected by others, usually have a good life.  Isn’t this what we all want?  I think of Mike Norman a good friend in Minneapolis.  He is financially successful yes, but he does it with class, people skills and respect for others.

 

You can create the life you want by focusing on others and what they want and by being interested, appreciative and a good listener.  I suggest that we watch ourselves for a week.  Do we show a little too much arrogance?  Are we over opinionated?  Do we really know our families, customers, vendor’s needs/wants/motives or are we just focused on ourselves? 

Be a learner this week.  Take a hard look at yourself and people’s habits and you will immediately become a little better.  We’ve asked millions of people to do this for almost 100 years and the reports are always the same, “I didn’t realize I acted this way and from now on…”

 

As always, if you have specific questions e-mail me and I will respond quickly.  kdcrone@dalecarnegie.ca

 

Have a great week.